A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy of a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with air. Consequently, the fuel cell is categorized as a new energy source. The fuel for the anode electrode of the fuel cell includes any type of hydrocarbon such as natural gas, methanol, ethanol (alcohol), product from water electrolysis, marsh gas, or the like.
The fuel for the anode of the fuel cell is usually filled in a container with a gas storage material. For example, the fuel is hydrogen gas, the container is a gas storage canister, and the gas storage material is metal hydride. Consequently, the fuel is adsorbed and stored by the gas storage material. For using the fuel, the container should be properly heated to release the fuel to the application device. Consequently, the fuel cell manufacturers make efforts in designing novel methods for stably releasing the fuel from the container.
For example, a method of heating the container was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,418,275, entitled “Supply device for use with a hydrogen source”. Conventionally, a water tank is located at the outside of a container. After the cool water in the water tank is heated by the waste heat from the fuel cell, the hot water is guided to the container through a circulated piping system. Consequently, the container is heated to release the fuel. However, the conventional technology still has some drawbacks. For example, if the fuel cell system is operated in a low temperature environment (e.g., in winter or in the Frigid Zone), the cold start of the full cell system is usually unsuccessful. Since the container is unable to acquire the heat energy in the beginning, the fuel cannot be released to the anode of the fuel cell. This is why the fuel cell cannot be successfully turned on. Moreover, the above heating method is an indirect heating method. The indirect heating method has many drawbacks. For example, the efficacy of thermal conduction is deteriorated, the power loss is increased, and the container or the gas storage material cannot be directly heated.
Therefore, the present invention provides a container with a heating device and a safety device in order to solve the above drawbacks.